Traught Takeover
by cradlerobin
Summary: My entries for Traught Takeover week. Individual summaries inside
1. Revelations

**Day 1 of Traught Takeover: Revelations.**

**Pairing: Dick/Artemis**

**Rating: T**

**Summary: Dick's inner thoughts during the last scene of Revelations.**

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Dick leaned against the crates in the warehouse, the tension built up in his shoulders, causing him to curve in on himself. His breaths came in shallow, cloudy wisps. He felt himself reach for his wrist and vainly tried to resist. He felt guilty for using the picture as a crutch, for indulging himself in something that inherently was not his. But the promise of relief was too much for him to hold off.

He scanned all around him; knowing he was alone but unable to shake his guilt, before he pressed one pre programmed button, the picture instantly appearing on his holographic screen. The quality was bad and her face was washed out by his phones flash, her mouth was gaping ever so slightly and her eyebrows arched high; her hair smoothed back in her constant long ponytail, the length of which you couldn't tell from the picture; her uniform tie was loose and her shirt was partially wrinkled.

He had studied every nuance of her features in that picture and still he could feel his shoulders melt with the small satisfaction he got from seeing her face, even if she no longer looked exactly like that girl anymore. She had grown taller and stronger; cut off her hair, went to college to become a lawyer and moved in with his best friend; she never faltered now, sure of her actions even when no one else was.

But this girl with slight annoyance written into her features was his Artemis; the girl with doubts and secrets; with a voice that would crack with excitement and hair past her waist that swung behind her like a beacon; the girl that didn't know where to sit at lunch, hung out with Bette and the girl who excelled at English and History. Even with uneasiness settling into his stomach, looking at this Artemis made him feel a little better.

"We'll laugh about this someday" he spoke reassuring both himself and the Artemis he once knew. One day he promised her they would laugh about all of this.

A soft sound shook him from his reprieve and his hand flew off the button he had been pressing so hard his fingers were probably white under his gloves.

"Wally" he whispered into the cold air, hoping against hope that no one had seen him. Instead of Wally, Kaldur responded and appeared from the shadows. Wally walked out from behind one of the large crates littering the damp warehouse; behind him a shorter hooded figure revealed herself.

He knew before seeing her face, but seeing her face still reassured him that everything, had in fact, been an act and nothing more. Holding her steady while her breath shallowed wasn't real, failing to save her life wasn't real, holding her still body in his arms wasn't real, he tried to reminded himself as they went through mission specs, business as usual, and he tried to avoid looking at her directly.

Dick pulled from his pocket the most important piece of their plan, the yellow gemstone he had asked Zatanna for. He moved to place it around Artemis' neck and reveled only momentarily in the heat that gathered at the back of her neck as he grazed her with his gloved hands. Artemis' eyes met his as tied it in place and he held her gaze without letting any of his thoughts show; he had many years of practice.

"Uh, dude, why are you giving bling to my dead girlfriend?" Wally quipped and Dick proceeded to explain the magic involved, anything to keep his eyes off her. It was Artemis' question that produced the reminder of his and Zatanna relationship.

Wally joked, but the end of that relationship still left a bitter taste in his mouth. Zatanna had yelled and thrown in his face that he had cared so much more when Artemis' had quit than when she was inducted into the Justice League. He rationalized; Artemis was leaving the business, Zatanna was just moving up, but truthfully neither of them bought it, it had been a long time coming.

Suddenly it was like the air had changed and the mood had shifted; Dick felt the moment he had been dreading. With his back to Dick, Wally took Artemis' face in his hands and they spoke in the hushed tones reserved for lovers, Artemis' face lit up with that smile Dick never recieved from her. Wally leaned in to kiss her goodbye, and Dick thought he saw Artemis' eyes flash momentarily to him before they closed, but it was probably just a trick of the dim light and he turned away from them instead of pondering her unyielding stare.

He glanced at his watch and knew that it was time to go. He touched Wally's shoulder, while he and Artemis were still locked in their embrace. He felt the rush of envy, to just hold her and say goodbye before she left for God knows how long. All he could do was watch with all the indifference of a leader as she walked away from him, in more ways than one.

Later that night, while on his couch trying to eat his cereal in peace, all he could see were her unwavering gray eyes over Wally's shoulder. He put down his bowl and reached for his phone, finding the picture quickly, but not even Artemis' surprised face could comfort him tonight.

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	2. Word Play

**Day 2 of Traught Takeover: Word Play.**

**Pairing: Dick/Artemis**

**Rating: K**

**Summary: Dick plays a game with Artemis, but will she take the hint?**

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Artemis' math class nap was interrupted by the insistent vibrating of her cell phone. She reluctantly picked her forehead off her desk to look at the glowing screen. She sighed when she saw who the text was from. She glared at him from across the classroom, he just smirked back at her.

**Received: Dick **

_**Wake up sleeping beauty, maybe if you open your eyes you'll learn something.**_

Artemis huffed, it wasn't her fault McCartney was so boring his voice kept putting her to sleep.

**Sent: Dick**

_**Who gave you this number anyways?**_

She didn't even have time to put her phone down before it vibrated again. That boy sure was fast with his thumbs.

**Received: Dick**

_**Oh just some girl that couldn't do her math homework on her own and needed a freshman's help**_

**Sent: Dick**

_**This is a class for sophomores, why are you even here?!**_

She could practically see his satisfied look when she read his reply

**Received: Dick**

_**What can I say I'm gifted. Let's play a game; what do you think of when I say: food?**_

She knew that when Dick got one of his ideas, it was hard to get him off it, and she was far too sleepy to bother. So she decided to just go along, she typed the first thing that came to mind.

**Sent: Dick**

_**Redhead**_

From across the room she could hear Dick snickering, which seemed strange since he shouldn't have gotten that reference.

**Received: Dick**

_**Brunette**_

**Sent: Dick**

_**Blonde**_

**Received: Dick **

_**Arrow**_

She looked around, checking to see if anyone else had seen that text, as if it truly held her secret identity, before it slowly dawning on her that Ollie was in fact blonde too.

**Sent: Dick **

_**Green**_

**Received: Dick**

_**Brown**_

**Sent: Dick**

_**Earth**_

**Received: Dick **

_**Air**_

**Sent: Dick **

_**Vents**_

**Received: Dick**

_**Traught.**_

She was too struck by the text message; reading it once, twice, three times; to hear the bell ring signaling the end of class. She was frozen in her spot, looking at each letter to see she didn't miss anything. Dick had just associated vents with traught, Artemis could feel the wheels in her turning. She quickly picked her head up, but saw only the empty classroom.

She dashed out into the hallway but he was nowhere to be found. Despite that, Artemis found herself smiling; after all he couldn't avoid her forever; they had gym together last period. Today was dodgeball and Artemis had impeccable aim.

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	3. Frozen

**Day 3 of Traught Takeover: Burn/Frozen**

**Pairing: Dick/Artemis**

**Rating: T**

**Summary: Artemis didn't want to get caught under the mistletoe at all, but the Boy Wonder has other ideas**

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The decorations covering the Cave were a bit much for Artemis' taste. The Cave looked as if Macy's sent over their storefront decorations from every christmas of the past 50 years and gave M'gann their blessing. Granted it was both M'gann and Conner's first Christmas so Artemis had to forgive the gaudiness. There was however one decoration that she was avoiding like the plague.

Mistletoe. It was everywhere. She hadn't quite catalogued all the places that it hung, but she checked doorways, room corners and any convenient places to have the aforementioned devil plant.

The rest of the Team seemed to love it; Raquel had gotten quite a few kisses out of Aqualad, Zatanna had already kissed Aqualad and Wally and was probably looking for a way to kiss Superboy, but M'gann seemed to be the only one ever under it with him. Even Robin and Wally got caught under it, which led to a hilarious situation that Artemis sincerely wished she had gotten on camera.

But she had an issue with too much contact, even with her Team which she considered family, but her family was never_ that_ close either. So she scooted around the edges of the Cave like she was scouting a minefield.

It was so close to Christmas that she thought she was home free, she let her guard down while sparring with Robin in the main hall. She hadn't found any mistletoe hanging from the domed ceiling yet, but sure enough when Robin flipped her on her back, her eyes met with the little green and red nuisance. Robin's shaded eyes followed her gaze up the high ceiling, only to look back down at her with a wide grin. He offered his hand to help her up and there he stood about half a head shorter than her.

He turned his face and tapped his cheek, she was grateful for his small adjustment to proper mistletoe edict. Still she was hesitant when she leaned down to reach his cheek. Just as her lips were about to make contact with his cheek, he quickly turned his head meeting her lips with his.

All she could feel was the sensation of his lips mashed up against hers with the distinct taste of peppermint from candy canes, before the feeling was gone and so was he; leaving behind only his cackling laugh echoing through the hall.

"I'll get you back for that" she yelled into the empty room. She could feel her cheeks were already red, but she had the small consolation that no one had been around to see that incident. She headed to the kitchen for lack of a better direction.

Superboy was watching a Christmas episode of the Flaming C with Aqualad and Raquel; which was better than No Signal, but not by much. M'gann was making a gingerbread house with Zatanna, and Wally was sneaking candies from the roof when he thought they weren't looking. She joined them on a stool and noted the obvious absence of one soon to be dealt with Boy Wonder. Her idea for revenge had struck her almost instantly, probably caused by the residual heat stuck to her cheeks.

"Hey M'gann have you gotten a chance to play in the snow yet?" she suggested lightly, stealing candy herself. M'gann's eyes lit right up.

"No I'd been preoccupied with finishing all the other traditions I totally forgot" She smiled and Artemis returned it, although hers was probably a touch more devious.

"We should have a snowball fight!" M'gann cried happily. Wally enthusiastically nodded and Raquel peeked out from in front of the kitchen. M'gann didn't even wait to see if the others had agreed before she morphing her normal civvies into a puffy pink coat and white hat, even though Mars was far colder than any winter in New England.

"Rob'll love this" Wally said, before he rushed off, presumably to find him. Artemis grinned, her plan was solidifying in her head and she was going to get that Boy Blunder if she froze trying.

Wally came rushing into the gym where Robin had been cooling off from his workout. Admittedly he was actually hiding from Artemis before she pummeled him for that stunt he pulled.

He was going to let her just kiss him on the cheek but when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of her eyes closed and her lips softly puckered he just couldn't help it; he had to try. Really it hadn't been the kiss he'd wanted but it was worth it just to see the look on her face.

"Dude come on, we're gonna have a snowball fight" he gestured for him to come along. Robin smiled and headed to his room to get his jacket.

They were finally assembled outside the Cave, facing the woods instead of the beach, in various states of winter clothes, although Conner just had a longer sleeved t- shirt and a scarf M'gann had probably given him. The snow was fresh and hardly stepped on and a light snow was starting back up.

"So how are we doing this?, are we gonna break into teams or-" Raquel asked

"Every man for himself" Zatanna yelled, and they all ran into various parts of the woods, screaming like toddlers playing tag.

Wally aimed at Robin first and he easily dodged it, but he felt the impact of a snowball to the back of his head. Turning around wildly he found it was Zatanna who was laughing at the shock on his face. He quickly chased after her and she yelled with delight as she tried to dodge a laughing Robin. A turn behind a tree and she was gone, he didn't doubt there was magic involved.

But he found a new opportunity when he saw M'gann floating above him, her back to him, caught in a battle with Raquel mid-air. He easily climbed the tree closest to her, and reached a limb hanging nearby her. Raquel caught his eye and he touched his finger to his lip, asking for her cooperation, she covered her mouth with her mittened hands, as she tried to hide her smile.

Robin jumped, wrapping his arms around M'gann's shoulders and clinging to her like a koala bear on it's mother. They made their steady descent into a huge pile of powdery snow just under the shade of the tree. M'gann sat up, snow and leaves stuck all over her hair and face, laughing along with him and he could hear Raquel joining in above them.

Robin didn't even have time to stand up before Conner came barreling over, Aqualad at his tail each with armfuls of pre made snowballs. Conner had the biggest grin Robin had ever seen on him. Conner and Aqualad took aim at their three new targets and Robin could hardly duck out of the way, he got to his feet rapidly, running to avoid the incoming snow.

After a while he stopped short and realized he had separated himself from all the others. Aware of the eerie calm among the soft snow and trees, he continued walking, looking at the icles that had formed off the low branches.

Distracted; he had no idea how he suddenly ended up on his back, except that a weight had come from above.

He looked above him and was met with Artemis' wide grin; she had snow in her hair and he could see the crystals in her eyelashes her face was so close. She was straddling his waist and pinning his arms into the snow, although he doubted he would have moved anyways.

"It's about time" she spoke, her air coming in a puff from her mouth. "I thought you'd never come by" she smiled, more to herself than to him.

He thought that was it and she was going to get off of him and they'd join the others. But she hesitated, seemingly taking in his appearance for the first time.

His chest was heaving after her surprise and his glasses were fogging up from his heavy breathing. There was snow in his hair and the cold he lay in was starting to seep in through his jacket, still he didn't find himself wanting to get up.

Her gray eyes seemed to be cataloguing everything, the hair across his forehead, his slightly gaping mouth, the movement of his chest. Her grip on his arms softened, and she leaned slightly forward, getting a better look. Her ungloved hand brushed the hair from his eyes and lingered, trailing down his cheek and holding him gentler than he had thought she could.

She closed her eyes and he followed suit, uncertain of what was happening, but not wanting it to stop. Her lips barely brushed his and he strained into the touch despite her weight on his chest. She obliged him leaning further into his lips and Robin was filled with the taste of gingerbread and gumdrops.

Her other hand went to his cheek and cradled his face, suddenly he cursed his gloves. She tilted her face, leaning closer and taking his bottom lip into her mouth. Robin sighed involuntarily and she took that as an invitation to deepen the kiss. She knew what to do and he had no idea but he tentatively touched his tongue to hers and her hands went to his hair.

His hands landed on her hips of their own accord, but Artemis didn't seem to mind. Dick tried pulling her bottom lip into his mouth, as she had done to him, but his teeth accidently scratched across her lip. She gripped his hair tighter, and Robin groaned softly into her mouth.

Artemis pulled away and half opened her eyes, she kissed his closed mouth once, then again before sitting back up.

"I told you I'd get you back" she laughed, but sounded uneasy, even to herself. She hadn't meant for things to escalate the way they did, she had just wanted payback for the mistletoe.

She looked down and realized she was still sitting on top of him, and got up swiftly, looking anywhere but at him. Robin lay there a while longer and Artemis wondered if she had scarred the boy.

When she finally looked away from the icle she had suddenly found interesting, she saw that Robin was nowhere in sight. Now she was seriously concerned that she had messed something up. The sharp impact of a snowball to her arm caused her to turn around, Robin was there smirking at her in challenge. She ran after him and he gave his signature cackle.

With that she knew two things: she hadn't messed anything up and she had to get under the mistletoe with the Boy Blunder more often.

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